Rosemary George, who became an MW in 1979, was one of the first women to earn the esteemed title. She had no idea she would go on to author 13 wine books (and counting) on subjects as diverse as New Zealand, Chablis, and wine-based cocktails. Today she is one of the leading experts on the wines of the Languedoc: fittingly, her journey into wine started with a few cheeky glasses on holiday in Brittany with her parents (although it was possible that those wines were actually from rather more distant lands…)
How long have you been writing about wine?
Since 1981.
What’s your very first memory of wine – how old were you, where, when and what?
Family holiday in La Baule on the Brittany coast in 1960. I was 10 and I was allowed a sip of Daddy’s white wine one evening, and a sip of his red another evening. I can’t say that I liked either. My parents were unsophisticated wine drinkers and they would probably have opted for the house wine, which given that Algeria was still part of France in 1960 and Brittany was not a wine-producing region, could well mean that my first taste of wine was Algerian.
Which do you think is the most underrated wine region?
Languedoc-Roussillon
If you had to drink wine from one region for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Languedoc-Roussillon, because the wines cover the full gamut of flavours, from sparkling to fortified with every nuance of red, white and rosé in between. And although I usually insist that Roussillon is quite different from the Languedoc, I am putting them together in this instance, so that I can enjoy the deliciously mature Vin Doux Naturel ambré and tuilé.
Who is/was your mentor?
No particular mentor. I had support from various bosses who were bemused that they had a secretary who was seriously interested in wine. A defining moment for me was being told that I was a complete disaster and should never set foot in an office again. It was a moment of liberation. And the woman who said that went on to say that I had the perfect profile for a self-employed person, that I was highly motivated and responded to deadlines. And that I was creative, but not especially imaginative, so no novel to be written. She became a very good friend.
Which of your achievements in wine and elsewhere are you most proud of?
Becoming one of the first women to pass the MW. Aileen Trew and I doubled the female contingent of the Institute overnight in 1979. I was also very proud to win both the André Simon Award and the Glenfiddich Award for my first book, The Wines of Chablis and the Yonne, published in 1984 by Sotheby’s. Presenting a comparative tasting of Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the white wines of La Clape in the fabulous Sala Dante in San Gimignano in Italian gave me a great sense of achievement. And finally, recognition by the French, being made a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole in 2023, was wonderful.
What would you have done differently?
Nothing in particular
If a handbag can be worth £30,000, then so can a wine. Discuss.
I would never spend £30,000 on a handbag.
Which is more important in a wine, aroma or texture?
Both are equally important in contributing to the pleasure in a glass of wine.
What’s your motto?
I don’t really have one. If you insist: Life’s too short to drink bad wine. Or at least wine you aren’t enjoying.
